Dive With the Sharks!

May 26, 2012

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is offering aunique
opportunity for divers to participate in a new pilot guest dive program this
summer. The first dive is scheduled Sunday, May 27, from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm.The program includes a chance to dive with
Aquarium sharks and other fishes under the supervision of Aquarium dive guides.
There will be more dives scheduled during the summer with dates and details
available on the Aquarium website.

A dive to the
observation ledge of the Open
Sea exhibit with dozens
of sharks, including Broadnose Sevengill sharks, that are up to 10 feet in
length

- Aquarium Admission Entry
Pass

- A full cylinder of
air

- Weights as needed

- Fish identification
training session

- A behind the scenes
tour of Passages of the Deep

- A photograph

“The opportunity to immerse our visitors in
the exhibits with our animals is absolutely magic,” said Vallorie
Hodges, Aquarium Dive Safety Officer and coordinator of the
event. “Few other experiences compare with being in the water with huge
halibut, ling cod, bat rays and hundreds of other fish. Seeing sharks from the
inside the tunnel is amazing, but having them swim past you just a few feet
away is thrilling!” Hodges said coming face to face with a gentle giant sturgeon
is awe-inspiring.

Divers will also get a chance to explore
the simulated shipwreck in the Halibut Flats exhibit, swim through the kelp and
become a part of the Aquarium dive show as visitors in the tunnel watch them
and take photos. “It’s really a very special moment,” said Hodges. “This is the
feeling we want our guest divers to have, that each of us can make a difference
when we become inspired to cherish and conserve this blue planet. The more
connected we become with the marine ecosystem, the more we are compelled to
protect it.”

The cost of the program is $139 per person
for Aquarium members or $149 for non-members.

To participate in the guest diving program,
divers must hold and present at check-in a valid SCUBA Certification card from
a recognized agency and have no medical contraindications to SCUBA diving. Participants
will need to provide their own dive gear except cylinder and weights.

Additional dive dates will be scheduled
over summer, and reservations are required. Private or semi-private sessions
may also be scheduled upon request.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located in Newport, on the beautiful Oregon Coast. Our mission is to inspire the public to better understand, cherish and conserve marine and coastal ecosystems.